Australian P.M. says Djokovic will be turned back if his vaccine exemption is bogus "If he's not vaccinated, he must provide acceptable proof that he cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said of the top-ranked tennis player. Bill Chappell
Hong Kong bans flights from U.S. and 7 other countries as omicron surges Hong Kong authorities announced a two-week ban on flights from eight countries and held 2,500 passengers on a cruise ship for coronavirus testing as the city attempted to stem an omicron outbreak. The Associated Press
Scientists explore how omicron symptoms differ from other COVID signs Most people know the telltale signs of COVID-19. But given omicron's many mutations, are the common symptoms still the same? Doctors are noticing at least some differences with the new variant.
The CDC says a test to get out of COVID isolation is not needed, resisting pushback Those who contracted COVID-19 can end their isolation after five days while continuing to wear a well-fitting mask for an additional five days, according to the agency. Jonathan Franklin
Late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers test positive for COVID-19 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night With Seth Meyers are both taped at New York City's 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Meyers' show has been canceled for the rest of this week. Jonathan Franklin
The case for COVID optimism, despite sky-high infection rates In the face of rising COVID cases, Dr. Bob Wachter of the University of California San Francisco offers reasons to be hopeful about the pandemic's outlook in the months ahead. Noah Caldwell
More than 1 million Americans were diagnosed with COVID over the long holiday weekend The U.S. hit a new record high for infections in a single day on Monday, with 1,082,549 new cases recorded. Hospitalizations are also on the rise, but not at the same rate. Rachel Treisman
The CDC now recommends Pfizer boosters after 5 months, down from 6 The move to shorten the Pfizer booster interval comes as the U.S. shatters daily case records. The recommended interval for those who received Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines has not changed. Becky Sullivan
These are the numbers health officials are watching at this point in the pandemic In the midst of record COVID case numbers in the U.S., biostatistician Natalie Dean walks us through how to assess the metrics. Megan Lim
Omicron update The Omicron variant is spreading quickly, and it’s likely there'll be a significant increase in cases over the next couple of weeks. UW Medicine's Dr. Christine Johnston gives us an update. Caroline Chamberlain Gomez
